Palestine rejects attempts to ‘undermine UNRWA’s mandate’ in Gaza

Palestine rejected Wednesday attempts to "undermine" the mandate of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), reaffirming that the agency remains "an indispensable lifeline" for Palestinians.

US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace said Wednesday that "UNRWA has no place in the new Gaza."

"We are turning the page on the complex of perpetual aid dependency & conflict. The people of Gaza deserve better," it added on the US social media company X.

In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said UNRWA plays an "essential role" in providing education, healthcare, social protection and emergency assistance across the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, as well as in refugee camps in neighboring host countries.

The ministry stressed that UNRWA was established under a UN mandate and operates in accordance with international law.

It said the agency's work is welcomed by the State of Palestine and called for the continuation of its operations, describing UNRWA as "irreplaceable" and "a key pillar of stability."

The ministry rejected attempts to "undermine UNRWA's mandate" without addressing the root causes of the Palestinian refugee issue, stressing that humanitarian assistance cannot substitute for the "inalienable rights" of the Palestinian people, including refugee rights under United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194.

It also rejected terminology that seeks to fragment Palestinian geography and identity, reaffirming that the Gaza Strip is "an integral part of the occupied State of Palestine."

The statement added that Palestinians are "one people" across the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in the diaspora.

The ministry called on "all states, institutions and international organizations to respect UNRWA's mandate, privileges and immunities under international law and to ensure the protection of the agency, its personnel and its facilities until a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian refugee issue is achieved in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions."

The Board of Peace was established in January on the initiative of Trump as part of efforts to reach a peaceful settlement in Gaza.

The first board meeting on Gaza was held Feb. 19 at the US Institute of Peace in Washington under Trump's leadership.

The initiative formed part of phase two of Trump's 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza, backed by a UN Security Council Resolution from last November.

With US support, Israel launched a genocidal war in Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 73,000 Palestinians and injuring over 173,000, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian figures.